Mow hay drier



B. F. HEAL MOW HAY DRIER Oct. 27, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet ,1

Filed July 8, 1950 N, 6:55? 6 mmf w f w 5 m z 6 INVENTOR By ron .F1 Heal ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 27, 1953 B. F. HEAL Mow HAY DRIER Filed July 8, 1950 3 Sheet`s-Sheet 2 .lllllllll I; lill' PIIIIIIII IIIA Iliff, fifi!!! l l 4 IN ENToR Byron E Heal BY l pkw(

" ATTORNEYS.

B. F. HEAL MOW HAY DRIER Oct. 27, 1953 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 8, 1950 5- INVENTOR Byron lZHeaIV ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,656,783 Mew im neme Byron F; Heal, Waukesha, Wis. Annuaire July 8.1950, serial No.. 172,.693

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a mow hay drier system of the type engraving a blower and dietributorducts extending therefrom to the sev` eralereas cfa hay mow for delivering air` into and passing the same through the undried hay.

The distributor ducts generally comprise a large mainduct extending the length of the mow along the iloor,` and aplurality of lateral ducts branching `from the main duct and extending at right angles therefrom alsoalong the floor ofthe mow. The lateral ducts are open at the bottom with the side wa11s'"thereef resting en we ievT four cross members which are spaced to provide aside opening for the'discharge of ai from the ducts into the hay'at floor level. Mow hay drierslhave generally been restricted in efficient operation to "a depth of lhay of aboutv eight feet, whereas usually it is desirable to fill a mow to a depth of'twenty feet or more. At-v tempes have been nia te denver air upwardly from the lateral ducts'through open columns in the dried hay to 'points beneath Vthe' incoming fresh hay to be dried; as `the mow is being lrledl However, since the principal resistanceto the flow or" air upwardly through the hay `is presented by the upper lever of undried hay" there was a general? permeating of the incoming airthro f out the lower dried' portion of hay from the r lever discharge slots in the laterals and from the rising air in the columns referred't`o`;"and

which had a tendency to overdry: the lower portion of hay `resulting ina substantial loss-in carof' tene content andtfo'od value.

One of the principal objects'o'f thepresent in]-r vention is'` to prevent` oveidryingof anyl portion ofthe hay.

Another object"V of the invention is tof more effectively distribut'elthe air to the u ifiiried porf tonof the hay in themow.

Another objecti is to` provide a simple inegpene sive duct and column control for selectively'discharging the air at anyl desired location in the mow; o

Another object-'is tofprevent-the free discharge era-1r mt@ thedried-Iiay en ive-passage terne* an embodiment er structural" Afeamres"ef" the: invention A is illustra'ted` in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure `1 isla 150D Dl'qlrllfview of a Inow with theY Fig. 2 is a transverse `vertical section through a lateral duct taken on line `5-'5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section showing the manner of support of the stack liner sec# tions and the telescoping of the saine over" the vent section; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the main duct showing the operating'mechanishi for the valve flaps.`

'II-"heV drier system `ofthe present invention is applicable to any hay mow I of substantial depth and employs a largecapacity motor-driven fan 2 to supply drying air to th system. The discharge for fan 2 is into a niain'duct 3," usually constructed of wood and extending along the neer 4 ef mevv l fer the' fun iengthof the inevv. f

Air is distributed by duet' 3 te lateral branch ducts 5 extendinggenerally at right angles to duct 3'" and across the mofw l along the floor Ali. The lateral ducts arespaced gfenerallyrabout five feet apart" andY Leach is constructed without a bottom and withitsA sider walls resting on slats 5 te seppertthe dect abv fleerja and provide shallowfopenings l at the iior level along the sidesV of` each duct for `the discharge of air into thehay. f"

nl einer te increase the effective depui ef dryingl without continuallyand excessively `drying the lower portion of the hay, Veach lateral duct 5 is" divided into a lowerductand an upper ductI byra' partition `$3 eitendihgacross -th eS?+- II1E! for the scbstantiany fuirleagth'thereef, ana the loiextendmg upwardly th'reghrhe hay a.

A suitable valve H; which isshewn in the ferm of a hinged flap, at the forward end of partition of laterals 5A `and discharged vonly through` openings finto hayl When flaps HV arelowerefd to their lowerrnost position, as `shown in Fig. 4, thefair supply is cut on" from thelower ducts Vandis opened to the upperfd'ucts fordischargingr Each lateral duct 5 has a plurality of openings in the top thereofsp-aced about ve feet apart along the length o the duct and which supply air to corresponding ues IIJ.

Each flue It comprises a plurality of liner sections I2 formed of sheet metal and an air discharge section I3 formed of a screen grill or perforate metal having a closed top Ill, and may be either circular or rectangular in cross section. Preferably each liner section I2 is about three feet in vertical length and the air discharge section I3 is about three feet in vertical length.

Initially, during discharge of air through the openings I at the iioor level, flap II is disposed to prevent discharge of air into columns III and the columns are constructed with the air Vent sections I3 resting upon the laterals 5 in registry with the corresponding top openings therein, as shown in Fig. 2. Two lengths of liner sections I2 are supported on the upper end of each corresponding section I3 so as to form the hollow columns VIIi upwardly through the hay as the latter is discharged into the mow I and lls upwardly around the columns.

As the mow I becomes iilled around the column sections I2 and I3 to a level oi" two or three feet above the top of open section I3, flap i I may be lowered, as shown in Fig. 3, to admit air to columns I through the upper half of the laterals and the vent sections I3. At the same time air discharge is continued through openings I into the hay at floor level until the latter is properly dried.

Thereupon, and as the mow I becomes lled to a depth of over four reet above the vent sections I3, the ilap II is dropped to its lowermost position, as shown in Fig. li, where it cuts off air supply to openings i and directs all of the air upwardly through vent sections I3. When the depth of hay above vent I3 is about seven feet, the first liner section I2 is pushed down over the corresponding section I3 for each column It and the vent section is raised to a position between the irst and second liner sections, as shown in Fig. 4. Continued lling 01" mow I with corresponding successive adding oi liner sections I2 and successive moving of vent section I3 upwardly to maintain the air discharge as a level generally between about three feet and about seven Yair is discharged into the hay only at the level where it is most eiective in drying the undried portion of fresh hay, leaving the dried portion of hay free from undesirable continued passage of drying air therethrough. Generally, the rate of drying and the rate of filling of the mow are corelated to provide drying of each foot of depth of hay at about the same rate as that for filling each foot of depth of the mow. It is advisable to maintain a depth of at least about three feet of hay above the discharge level for air in order to obtain anl efficient distribution of air through the hay.

The construction of column sections I2 and I3 may vary. As shownJ liner sections I2 are slightly larger in section than grill section I3 so that the liner sections can be pushed down over the grill and the latter pulled upwardly through the liner to successive positions. An interlock may be provided between the several sections if desired.

The openings from ducts 5 into the several columns lo are surrounded by upstanding anges I5 which encircle the lower end of grill section I3 and enter the subsequent first liner section I2 to locate the same in registry with the opening. Y

In the construction shown, the lower end of vent section I3 has one or more pivotal latches I6 which are normally spring biased outwardly to support the section on the upper end of the next lower liner section I2. When a liner section I2 is pushed downwardly over section I3, and the latter is pulled upwardly through the liner I2, the latches I6 are pivoted inwardly by ordinary cam action thereon by section I2. When section I3 is raised above section I2 the latches I6 are.v released and spring outwardly to support the section I3 on the upper end of section I2.

The lower end of each liner section I2 is Y crimped outwardly to provide a bell end II which latches I8 which are normally spring biased outwardly for the purpose stated. rhe latches I8 are actuated by a pull cord IS which extends upwardly from the top of vent section I3 through the upper liner sections I2, and by means of which the vent section I3 is pulled upwardly.

The construction is such as to facilitate manipulation of the several sections in carrying out the process described.

Any suitable construction may be employed for actuating valve iiaps II for the several lateral ducts Si. In the illustration of Fig. 7 the flaps I I are hinged at their outer ends, and their free ends which extend into main duct 3 are each suspended by a corresponding link 2U from a bell crank lever ZI pivotally supported on a suitable bracket 22 extending across the inside of duct 3. A longitudinally movable rod 23 is carried on the short arms of bell crank levers 2l and is adapted to be moved longitudinally by a hand lever 24. pivotally secured to one end of the rod and pivotally supported on duct 3.

Various embodiments of the invention may be\ employed within the scope of the following; claims.

I claim:

. l. In a mow hay drier, an air distributing duct; system comprising a main air duct, a plurality of lateral branch ducts spaced along and extending; from said main duct along the fioor of the mow', said branch ducts having side openings along substantially the entire length thereof t0 discharge air into the mow near the iioor level on opposite sides of each duct, a corresponding duct substantially coextensive therewith disposed above each branch duct and opening into said l main duct to receive air therefrom, each of said upper ducts having spaced upward openings therein for the discharge of air upwardly through columns in the hay, and valve means v disposed to control the admission of air from the main duct to said branch ducts and said corand lowerV channels, a main air supply conduit opening into said channels at one end thereof, discharge openings along substantially the entire length of the sides of said lower channel to discharge air at substantially floor level into the hay in said mow, upward openings from said upper channel disposed to discharge air upwardly through the hay in said mow, and means to open and close the inlet to said channels alternatively whereby air may be admitted to either channel at will or to both channels simultaneously.

3. In a mow hay drier, an air distributing duct partitioned longitudinally into an upper and a lower channel, a main air supply conduit opening into said channels at one end thereof, discharge openings along the sides of said lower channel to discharge air at substantially floor level into the hay in said mow, upward openings from said upper channel disposed to discharge air upwardly through the hay in said mow, means to open and close the inlet to said channels alternatively whereby air may be admitted to either channel at will or to both channels simultaneously, a ilue extending upwardly from each upward opening in said duct to form a passage for air upwardly from said duct, means to open said flue laterally at an adjustable predetermined height to discharge air therefrom laterally into the hay, and means to close said flue above the lateral discharge opening therein to force the air outwardly into the hay.

4. In a mow hay drier, a horizontal air distributing duct having a plurality of longitudinally spaced upward openings therein for the discharge of air therefrom, a ue extending upwardly from each said opening to form a passage for air upwardly from the duct, means to open each said flue laterally at an adjustable selected height to discharge air therefrom laterally into the hay in the mow, means to close each said flue above the lateral discharge opening therefor to prevent the escape of air upwardly from the flue, each said flue comprising a plurality of duct sections of sheet metal adapted to t together at their adjacent ends, and an air discharge perforate section adapted to be positioned initially at the bottom of the flue and thereafter selectively between successive flue sections to provide for raising the level of discharge of air into the hay as the mow is filled.

5. In a mow hay drier, an air distributing duct system comprising at least one duct extending along the door of the mow, said duct having spaced side openings to discharge air into the mow near the floor level thereof and having spaced upward openings for the discharge of air upwardly through the hay, iiue members extending upwardly from said upward openings in said duct to form passages for air upwardly from the duct, means to open each said flue laterally at successive adjustable selected heights to discharge air therefrom laterally into the hay in the mow, and means for selectively controlling the discharge of air into the hay through said door level openings and flue members, said last named means including means to shut off the supply of air to said side openings whereby discharge through the iloor level openings may be cut ofi when the mow has been filled to a predetermined depth and discharge through the flue members may be prevented until the mow has been lled to a predetermined depth corresponding to a selected level for lateral iiue discharge determined by said rst named means, and said means being operable to close off the discharge of air at a lower height into the mow to eliminate further drying of the initially stacked hay while later stacked hay is being dried by discharge of air thereto.

6. In a mow hay drier, an air distributing duct system comprising at least one duct extending along the floor of the mow, said duct having spaced side openings to discharge air into the mow near the floor level thereof and having spaced upward openings for the discharge of air upwardly through the hay, flue members extending upwardly from said upward openings in said duct to form passages for air upwardly from the duct, means for selectively varying the height of said flue members whereby the level oi discharge of air into the hay through the flue members may be raised as the mow is iilled, means for selectively controlling the discharge of air into the hay through said floor level openings and ilue members whereby discharge through the floor level openings may be cut on` when the mow has been filled to a predetermined depth, and means for controlling the discharge of air into the hay through said iiue members whereby discharge may be prevented until the mow has been lled to a predetermined height corresponding to an initially selected level for ilue discharge determined by said first named means.

BYRON F. HEAL.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 842,538 Elward Jan. 29, 1907 1,256,677 French Feb. 19, 1918 1,388,328 Cotton Aug. 23, 1921 1,522,186 Hiestand Jan. 6, 1925 1,647,863 Galbraith Nov. 1, 1927 1,686,871 Meek Oct, 9, 1928 1,995,551 Shodron Mar. 26, 1935 2,299,299 Bills Oct. 20, 1942 2,439,722 Dreisel Apr. 13, 1948 2,584,727 Mellen Feb. 5, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 76,284 Switzerland May 1, 1918 175,495 Switzerland May 1, 1935 466,337 Germany Oct. 6, 1928 653,055 Germany Dec, 16, 1937 

